Y-Option: College Football with Yogi Roth

The Pac-12 has owned the airwaves this week.

It began by adding 4 new schools last Thursday morning and continued with Washington State’s epic win in the Apple Cup on a 4th down stop that will be talked about for decades.

While Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould did not call a play last Saturday in college football, she did create the playbook that added San Diego State, Fresno State, Boise State and Colorado State last Thursday. Commissioner Gould has been a friend for decades and when she was hired to lead the Pac-12 months ago, she was not only the perfect hire, but in my eyes, the only person for the job.

On Day One, she stated that she would be bold, aggressive, open minded and intentional. Now well into her 7th month, she has delivered on all 4.

In a conversation fueled by our founding partner 76, Commissioner Gould joined the Y-Option podcast to share her insight and expertise as the Pac-12 completed Phase One of the rebuild and is into Phase Two. We dove into subjects that are immediate, like what WSU will be like on Friday night, where she will be in attendance, as they host San Jose State as well as what the CFP landscape could look like in late November for the Cougs.

Always open and vulnerable, Commissioner Gould also shared that among the 200 plus text messages she has received since the news broke of the Pac-12’s new additions, the ones she enjoyed most were from friends who were colleagues for years in the Pac-12 Conference. Leaders have a unique way to connect to others and allow others to feel seen. In my eyes, Teresa does exactly that and for the new schools on their way to the Pac-12, you are in competitive and thoughtful hands.

While I cannot state for sure what the next phase will be, let alone who the exact teams will be, I can say with absolute certainty and confidence that Teresa Gould will continue to lead this charge and meet the moment that is today’s college sports reality. 

As always, Jim Thornby and I also dive into all things Week 4 in college football and share stories from USC/Michigan, the oldest QBs in college football facing off in Stillwater and Jim’s favorite game this weekend in college football (Spoiler: it involves Lane Kiffin, Clay Helton and Jaxson Dart).

I’m off to Bloomington to run the stadium steps with Rhett Lewis. Be sure to track us all weekend on Instagram as we will do our best to convince Guy Haberman to join in and get to know IU’s Memorial Stadium on another level.

And if you watch Pac-12 Insider, you will start to see Y-Option there now as well. We’re fired up to be on that platform and add to the growing community of you all on SubStack, YouTube, Spotify, Apple and more.

As always - none of this is possible without YOU. So thank you.

Much love,

Yogi

This episode was executive produced by Jim Thornby and edited by Victor Ren.

This podcast is a Best Coast Media production.

Late last week news broke that the Pac-12 was taking its next step toward rebuilding by adding four new schools: Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State and Colorado State. As we spoke to a variety of people involved in the expansion, as well as coaches around college football, one thing was clear – there was excitement about the historic conference's move.

In addition, there was curiosity about the next play call on Commissioner Teresa Gould’s call sheet. Would she add more teams in the immediate future? Would recently departed teams return? Which schools were calling her?!

All fair questions to be answered in due time, but the current reality is that the 4 on their way to what should be the premiere West Coast conference have a chance to create something new, something special, something necessary. 

This week we had longtime coach and respected media member, Mike Sanford, on the Y-Option podcast. Mike played at Boise State under Dan Hawkins and coached at a variety of places around the country such as his alma mater, Stanford under Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw, Notre Dame under Brian Kelly and most recently Colorado where he would become the interim head coach before the Buffs hired Deion Sanders. Bottom line, Mike knows the Mountain West, he grew up in the Pac-10 running around the USC facility as his father coached the Trojans and has an affinity for college football on the West Coast that has expertise and experience.

Fueled by our founding partner 76, enjoy today’s conversation as we take a thoughtful look at the restoration of the Pac-12 with a former player, former coach and current media member, Mike Sanford. And yes, we ask him about Coach Prime, Bo Nix’s growth with the Broncos and we even go down memory lane when Stanford beat USC, when both of us were rocking the headsets and coach’s khakis.

Plus a full breakdown of this weekend’s action involving the West Coast schools. Hope you enjoy!

Much love,

Yogi

The episode was executive produced by Jim Thornby and edited by Victor Ren.

This podcast is a Best Coast Media production.

While late November of 2021 may seem like decades ago for Jake Dickert, it was one of the most transformational moments in his coaching life and he can recall every moment. Then the interim head coach at Washington State, he led the Cougars into Seattle to face the Washington Huskies in the Apple Cup which the Cougs won 40-13. That next day, he would lose the interim tag and be formally introduced as the Head Coach at WSU. 

Simply, his life would be changed forever.

This Saturday, the 116th Apple Cup returns to the gridiron, but nothing about this year's game mirrors its historic past. The Huskies are in the new-look Big Ten, the Cougs are holding it down in the Pac-12 and the game will be played at Lumen Field in Seattle, home of the Seattle Seahawks.

Yet some things do remain the same: the pageantry, the competitive spirit in this rivalry and the opportunity it poses for players to add to their story. Of course surrounding this game is conversation around realignment, media rights and a September rivalry game. For those who may be frustrated or lead with those topics in mind, we urge you to remember that this game is still – at its core – about the players, the fans, and the ball. After all, How Great Is Ball!?

With thanks to our founding partner in 76, Coach Dickert joins the Y-Option podcast to share his insights on his origin story around the Apple Cup, how 2021 changed his life, and how he is talking to his team in advance of this epic rivalry game.

Take a listen, and to all UW and WSU fans, be sure to get a tickets, as I think this has a chance to be the game of the week in all of college football.

Plus we look ahead to the Week 3 slate across the country through the lens of the West Coast including the Ducks & Beavs battling in Corvallis, weekday night road games for Arizona & Arizona State and UCLA’s first ever Big Ten conference game.

Much love,

Yogi

This episode was executive produced by Jim Thornby and edited by Victor Ren.

This podcast is a Best Coast Media production.

It’s Rivalry Week!

No, that is not a typo and yes, it’s Rivalry Week in the Pacific Northwest and in the Pac-12 Conference. For the first time ever, these 2 games will be played in September.

The Oregon State Beavers host the Oregon Ducks in the 128th meeting of the game formerly known as the Civil War. This is the 7th most played match-up in college football history and tied for 2nd at the FBS level.

The Washington State Cougars and the Washington Huskies meet up at Lumen Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks, in the 116th Apple Cup. This will be the 2nd time this matchup will take place in this stadium as the renovation of Husky Stadium forced the move in 2011.

And with realignment still fresh in all four fan bases minds, there is even more spice added to these epic rivalries. It’s human nature and it’s part of the new world of college football.

I’ve been at both of these games over the years and was on the broadcast for an Oregon State/Oregon game just a few years ago. The energy is different, the passion is through the roof and the distaste for one another is exactly what you’d imagine.

This year, it’s safe to assume that the vitriol from the Cougs and Beavs fan bases will be even higher.

We’ve been saying for months now that the Cougs and Beavs are America’s Teams, and this weekend the nation gets to see them on a grand stage. Washington State is fresh off a dominant win over the Big-12’s Texas Tech, where the legendary coach Mike Leach was inducted into the WSU Hall of Fame. The Beavs also sit at 2-0 and are playing exactly how Trent Bray hopes - controlling the clock, running the rock and winning at the line of scrimmage.

So welcome to Week 3 as we welcome in first year head coach Trent Bray to the show for a thoughtful conversation, presented by our founding partner 76, about his team in advance of the #9 Oregon Ducks.

This Saturday will be his 14th meeting as a member of this rivalry, 4 as a player and 9 as a coach. His expertise in this game is unmatched among anyone associated with it this year and he shared with us exactly how he is talking to his team about this game, what Reser Stadium will feel like at kickoff and how his team has approached the week of preparation. 

Also, Jim Thornby and I reflect on what went down in Week 2 on the West Coast and how this side of the country is picking up where it left off last year – winning –as Cal, ASU and others earned key victories over the weekend. 

Be sure to check out our weekly Go Go Go Awards, presented by 76 as we will announce those each Monday this fall. 

As always, thank you for the support around this new endeavor, it’s been better than we could have imagined and it’s not possible without your support!

This episode is executive produced by Jim Thornby and edited by Victor Ren.

This podcast is a Best Coast Media production.

It's Week 2! There are so many games of note that will impact the landscape of college football, the power struggle at the top, and factor into teams’ College Football Playoff arguments. 

We were able to talk to Colorado beat writer Brian Howell, from Buffzone and the Daily Camera, who knows the Buffaloes better than anyone in the nation. The Buffs, in their first year back in the Big-12, visit former Big-12 power Nebraska in a rivalry that has always delivered. Just recently, you can go from K.D. Nixon’s 96-yard flea flicker in 2019, to the hype train that was Coach Prime’s team last year that captured the nation, to this Saturday’s meeting in Lincoln.

One thing is for certain, both teams believe in their process, players and QBs. It's a grand stage for Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter on NBC and the first time the nation will get a prime time look at Dylan Raiola. 

In my eyes this contest will favor the team that can either protect the passer or get after the QB. Expect high drama and high stakes.

For more college football through the lens of the West Coast, visit y-option.com.

This episode is executive produced by Jim Thornby and edited by Victor Ren.

This podcast is a Best Coast Media production.

Week 1 was here and it delivered in a brilliant way. The USC Trojans met the moment, beating ranked LSU behind a Miller Moss performance that had the college football community buzzing, tweeting & reshuffling their Top 25.

The Ducks final score wasn't what most predicted, but the talent in Eugene remains and as expected, America’s Teams won both of their openers. 

We also released Y-Option’s first weekly awards of the 2024 season, the Go Go Go Awards, presented by our founding partner, 76.

The storylines are plentiful so we brought on Rhett Lewis to the Y-Option podcast to discuss week 1 and his first broadcast alongside Guy Haberman and myself on the Big Ten Network. 

He shares his path to Indiana as a walk-on turned scholarship wideout, his career arc which began covering Mike Leach (and a young Lincoln Riley) at Texas Tech to the NFL Network and BTN, how he met his wife along the way & we even take a deep dive into parenthood while navigating our jobs in broadcasting. 

Finally, Rhett shares what he has learned from the First Family of Football, the Manning’s.

Take a listen to today's conversation, presented by our founding partner 76.

We’re so grateful for your continued support of this venture as we examine and give a voice to college football through the lens of the West Coast. For more insights, go to y-option.com.

This episode was executive produced by Jim Thornby and edited by Victor Ren.

This podcast is a Best Coast Media production.

Bill Walton would often state that he was the luckiest man in the world. Every time he would say that with his infectious energy I’d smile, and I bet you would too. He looked at life through an incredible lens and one that was optimistic and oftentimes inspiring.

Heading into my 16th year of putting a headset on as a broadcaster, I too feel like Bill often did. Over the course of time, I’ve stood next to Steve Physioc, Kevin Calabro and for the better part of the last decade, Ted Robinson. How lucky have I been to have been given a PhD by those three in the school of broadcasting!? Let alone having Lewis Johnson, Samantha Ponder, Jill Savage, Cindy Brunson, Ashley Adamson and more on the sideline. It’s been an absolute joy and it’s an understatement to share how each of those gifted professionals have impacted millions of sports fans, and myself.

This week brings a new season with a new crew, a new logo, and a new network. 

I’ll be in a familiar setting - overlooking Autzen Stadium in prime time on Saturday night and next to me will be a guy I've known for the last 12 years, Guy Haberman. What’s so special about Guy is that he truly loves sports broadcasting, having recorded himself calling games as a child. On Saturday night, he will also be living a dream, perched a few hundred feet above a majestic field amid a standing-room-only crowd. Additionally, Guy is a selfless friend, loving husband and extremely talented broadcaster. 

While the viewer usually only see’s the TV crew on air, what makes a unit special is the time off the airwaves. Guy and I have called a few games together in our careers and we’ve made Week 1 games our speciality in places like Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City and others. But the best part has always been the week leading up to it – the countless calls, the meals while driving to and from the stadium and even the final stop at a FedEx to print out our materials. It’s a dream, all of it. And this fall I’m so thankful to have Guy as the next guy I get to learn from and celebrate the game with.

In advance of our first game together on the Big Ten Network I had to have him on the Y-Option podcast, presented by our founding partner 76, to learn about his origin story and how he explores the craft of play-by-play.

Hope you enjoy our conversation as Guy, Rhett Lewis and myself are so looking forward to bringing you college football this fall.

Enjoy Week 1 and what should be another magical ride alongside the sport we all love.

For more insights around college football through the lens of the West Coast, go to y-option.com

This episode was executive produced by Jim Thornby and edited by Victor Ren.

This podcast is a Best Coast Media production.

Pete Carroll changed my life.

I can vividly recall calling a few of my teammates at Pitt during my first week on the job as a member of the USC Football staff in the winter of 2005. 

“Guys, I wish you could have been coached by Pete Carroll and this staff. It’s incredible!”

My former teammates would often ask why and while I couldn't nail the answer, I could compete to explain the energy, optimism and education he shared every day.

From the moment I met him at 19-years-old to now, there has not been a greater influence in all aspects of my life. Of course in football, as Coach Carroll offered me a lens into the game that very few have. But he also impacted me as a friend, father and husband. I’ve often said that my parents created the clay that is my life and Pete molded it in my 20s. 

A month before I got married, I flew to Seattle as I just had to get some time with Coach. He had been in the NFL for a while and I’d been building my life in Los Angeles. We would speak a few times a year and each time, I felt impacted. 

We sat down in his corner office on a random Wednesday at the Seahawks facility and for 60 minutes he just coached me on marriage. “Yogi, you have to compete at this thing. Compete to listen, compete to show up, compete to see her.” I thought we might talk about his team, my career, and maybe my pending wedding but it was all about life off the field.

As I reflected back on my flight home, I came to the conclusion that our conversation was a master class on all things human interaction. And I missed it.

For four years at USC, I would experience those conversations almost daily. I was the young coach sleeping in the office and he was the head coach, at times also sleeping in the office. That was where we would connect and eventually formulate ideas and concepts that at their core, were about impacting people to maximize their potential. Or as he would say, Win Forever.

One of my core memories at USC, that extended beyond the field, was when Coach Carroll invited me on one of his annual Tuesday night visits to South Central Los Angeles. We walked the city, met with locals and even played some hoops in a nearby gym. That night under a light post I was able to get him one-on-one, away from others. I asked him a simple question, “Pete, it’s the middle of September, and tonight is your birthday…why are you pouring so much into others and why are you barely speaking?”

He looked toward the skyline and softly responded, “Because I have to. And they don’t need to hear from me. I don’t need to talk, I need to listen.”

Those words are stitched on my soul as Pete Carroll has always made anyone in his path feel seen, and always heard. 

It’s game week in college football and on the bottom of my broadcasting board reads, “listen like your life depends on it.” That’s attributed to the man who took the time to listen to a 19 year old in college, a 22 year old on his staff and in today’s podcast, a man in his early 40s who is still seeking knowledge from a man who has so much to give.

I hope you enjoy our conversation, presented by our founding partner in 76, as it was my most enjoyable in quite some time.

This episode is executive produced by Jim Thornby with cinematography and editing by Blue Ox Films.

This podcast is a Best Coast Media production.

There is an on-going conversation around being a multi-sport athlete versus being singularly focused. Being the parent of a 9-year-old, I see these things becoming more and more of a discussion. Sport specific, playing one sport year round, paying thousands of dollars on private coaches or club teams and more. It’s a hard lane to navigate as a parent and even harder as an athlete. 

This is a topic we are extremely passionate about at Y-Option. 

Go multi-sport or focus on football, perhaps with a private coach? Guess what — it’s not either/or. It’s all about finding the path that’s best for you, and adjusting it along the way.

One conversation in particular has always stuck with me. I was talking with George Whitfield, the first private quarterback coach in the modern social media era. He went on to appear on ESPN’s College GameDay for years, and trained multiple first-round QBs.

He said, “Equate the potential of a young quarterback to that of a young musician. If your child truly aspires to grow and achieve as a pianist, finding a credible piano teacher makes sense. But it must be predicated on the child’s intention about getting better and growing. The same in the QB space. Your child must have the visible or vocal love for the craft of quarterback play. If not, it will feel like assigned work.”

Whitfield’s wisdom came back for me when I was talking to the parents of an 8-year-old. They told me that they felt their child had ‘It’. Their next step was to focus on football, hire a private coach and go all-in on this opportunity. Now, I love calls like these from parents. It’s clear how much they care about their child, how much they are willing to pour into their child’s dreams, and that their son may indeed have a gift.

But as we spoke, it was also clear that there is no real road map for parents in similar shoes. There is no perfect answer and it’s even hard to empathize unless you too have a gifted athlete as a child.

As a parent, I totally get it. It’s hard to see the long game for our own kids, but easier to see it for others. So, to answer the question about ‘what to do next?’ — we just have to look at the facts.

And here they are.

In 2022, all eight starting NFL quarterbacks in the 2nd round of the playoffs played multiple sports in high school. To be exact, these multi-million dollar, face-of-the-franchise QBs played 24 sports combined.

For example: Matt Stafford (football, baseball), Tom Brady (football, basketball, baseball), Josh Allen (football, basketball, baseball), Patrick Mahomes (football, basketball, baseball), Jimmy Garoppolo (football, basketball, baseball), Aaron Rodgers (football, basketball, baseball), Joe Burrow (football, basketball, track & field) and Ryan Tannehill (football, basketball, baseball, track & field).

In addition, in 2015 there were 128 quarterbacks surveyed in an ESPN article, and at least 122 (95%) of them played at least two sports in high school. Nearly 70% played three or more sports.

While all of these young men played Pop Warner in a different era, the results speak for themselves. The more diverse an athlete you are, the chances to be special seemingly only grow. More importantly, the more diverse an athlete you are, the less likely you are to burn out from one particular sport.

Today’s podcast, thanks to our founding partner in 76, is with Duce Robinson, a two-sport athlete for the USC Trojans.

In my eyes, Duce is on the verge of a breakout season for the Trojans on the football field as a wide receiver and he may also have a big year in the spring on the baseball team. Regardless of his statistics, one thing remains true –playing multiple sports has only allowed Duce to be a better version of himself as an athlete, a student and a product of competitive sport.

We sat down this off-season and discussed the benefits of playing multiple sports, as well as how it has impacted how he views the world. I learned a lot from this conversation, especially on how being a dual-sport athlete impacted his joy around both sports.

Various studies have proven that athlete fatigue is real, and that too much specialization can lead to injuries. In 2019, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association proposed that a child’s age should equal the number of hours he or she should spend in sports training each week.

And regarding single-sport specialization, research and evidence has proven that there is actually more room for athleticism to grow if an athlete exposes their body to different sports and different movements. In addition, athlete burnout is a growing concern. The American Academy of Pediatrics found that 70% of kids are completely done with sports by the age of 13, and a great deal of that is attributed to burnout and sport specialization.

All of that is not to say that there is something wrong with hiring a personal QB coach to improve your son’s mechanics, footwork and football acumen. The private QB coaching business is booming, and in every region of America there is someone who can help make your child better. 

Based on the research we did when writing the book 5-Star QB and talking to 50 of the best high school quarterbacks in the history of recruiting there are a few things you should evaluate:

* Is this your child’s dream or your dream?

* Is he enthusiastic about the extra practice?

* Is his arm sore? If so, stop immediately to prevent future injuries. There is no reason a 10, 12 or 15-year-old needs to throw a ball downfield 100 times per day, multiple times per week. In 2012, Tony Romo was a guest coach at the Elite 11 in Dallas and shared with the QBs that he would throw in his basement as a child due to bad weather. In the confines of his Wisconsin home, he would compete to hit certain spots on a pillow on his couch. He believed that those repetitions helped his accuracy and had minimal impact on his arm.

* Is that coach recommended by others in the industry?

* Is your child improving?

* How many competitive teams has your kid been on?

The private QB coach discussion is an ever-evolving topic, and we support the private quarterback industry. Bottom line, if you recognize that your son may have the ‘It Factor’, be sure that he also has the desire to put in extra time, and that the sport still feels like a sport, instead of a job.

Finding focus, and fine-tuning it, is key to success. But the truth remains — the more diverse an athlete your son is, the more diverse a competitor he will be. That will serve him well, and far beyond the field.

If you need an example, look no further than today’s guest on Y-Option, Duce Robinson.

This episode is executive produced by Jim Thornby, edited by Blue Ox Films with cinematography from the folks at Elite 11.

This podcast is a Best Coast Media production.

Football can change your life.

I’ve shared this story a few times but it’s worth repeating. Years ago, I was in Northern California visiting San Jose State and Stanford. I was expected to fly home after practice on a Wednesday but was convinced by both Brent Brennan and Mike Bloomgren to stay in NorCal for one more night. 

I obliged and had a blast.

The next day I walked onto a Delta flight and met the love of my life, my now-wife Amy.

I often think about that and am reminded how falling in love with football at age 14, walking on to Pitt in college, moving to Los Angeles to coach at USC and persuading the Pac-12 Network to hire me in 2012 literally led me to my heartmate, Amy, who has changed my life.

In a unique way, the same can be said of Khalil Tate.

He was a special athlete in Los Angeles growing up. He had a powerful work ethic, a supportive family and a bright future. From the outside, it seemed like everything came natural to him. I vividly recall him at the Elite 11 QB camp, as he would take a snap at quarterback, then move to wideout, then transition to safety. It was effortless.

When he arrived in Tucson, things stopped coming that easy to him. He had to work, and work he did, as Khalil Tate poured into his craft. The reward did not come quickly, but when it did, it came like a tidal wave.

It was a perfect night in October of 2017 and football also changed his life.

The setting was sparkling Boulder, Colorado and he went off, running for 327 yards, an FBS record for a quarterback and I had a front row seat. Current Los Angeles Rams broadcaster and close friend J.B. Long and I called that game and to this day, it is one of the most memorable games either of us have ever broadcasted.

Few players have games like that, but even less have follow-up performances. For the next month Khalil was the face of college football. He broke records, won games and cleaned up awards. Yes, football changed his life.

The next few years were promising in Tucson but did not meet that pinnacle of the fall of 2017, but it did shape him in a powerful way.

In our conversation brought to you by our founding partner 76, he joined the Y-Option podcast and examined how the game he loved changed his life, what life could have been like for him in the NIL world and opened up like never before about the tweet he famously deleted.

In my life, I’m so grateful to meet young men like Khalil Tate when they are 17 years old, be around their meteoric rise in college football and also continue a relationship beyond the game. While Khalil Tate’s football career may not yet be done, our conversation is a reminder that what is often under the helmet is even more unique than what we get to witness on the field.

I hope you take a listen, learn from Mr. October and discover something new about one of the greats in Arizona football history.

This episode is executive produced by Jim Thornby with cinematography & editing by Blue Ox Films.

This podcast is a Best Coast Media production.